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Jackson　rushed　at　Vincent。　　The　latter　caught　the　blow　aimed　at

him　on　the　edge　of　the　shovel；　and　then　swinging　his　weapon

round　smote　his　antagonist　with　all　his　strength；　the　edge　of　the

shovel　falling　fairly　upon　his　head。　　Without　a　cry　the　traitor　fell

dead　in　his　tracks。　The　other　officers　now　drew　their　swords　and

rushed　for…ward。　　Vincent；　seeing　the　futility　of　resistance；　threw

down　his　shovel。　　He　was　instantly　seized。



〃Halloo　there！〃　the　senior　officer　called　to　the　men；　who　had

stopped　in　their　work　and　were　gazing　at　the　sudden　fray　that　had

arisen；　〃a　sergeant　and　four　men。〃　　Four　of　the　negro　soldiers　and　a

sergeant　at　once　stepped　forward。　　〃Take　this　man　and　conduct

him　to　the　village。　Put　him　in　a　room；　and　stay　there　with　him。　　Do

you；　sergeant；　station　yourself　at　the　door；　so　that　I　shall　know

where　to　find　you。　　Put　on　your　uniforms　and　take　your　guns。〃　The

men　put　on　their　coats；　which　they　had　removed　while　at　work；

shouldered　their　muskets；　and　took　their　places；　two　on　each　side

of　the　prisoner。　　The　officers　then　turned　to　examine　their　prostrate

comrade。



〃It's　all　over　with　him；〃　one　said；　stooping　down；　〃the　shovel　has

cut　his　skull　nearly　in　half。　　Well；　I　fancy　he　was　a　bad　lot。　　I　don't

believe　in　Southerners　who　come　over　to　fight　in　our　ranks；

besides　he　was　at　one　time　in　the　rebel　army。〃



〃Yes；　he　was　taken　prisoner；〃　another　said。　　〃Then　his　father；　who

had　to　bolt　from　the　South；　because；　he　said；　of　his　Northern

sympathies；　but　likely　enough　for　something　else；　came　round；

made　interest　somehow　and　got　his　son　released；　and　then　some

one　else　got　him　a　commission　with　us。　　He　always　said　he　had

been　obliged　to　fight　on　the　other　side；　but　that　he　had　always　been

heart　and　soul　for　the　North；　anyhow；　he　was　always

blackguarding　his　old　friends。　　I　always　doubted　the　fellow。　　Well；

there's　an　end　of　him；　and　anyhow　he　has　done　useful　service　at

last　by　recognizing　this　spy。　　Fine…looking　young　fellow　that。　He

called　him　Vincent　Wingfield。　　I　seem　to　remember　the　nanie；

perhaps　I　have　read　it　in　some　of　the　rebel　newspapers　we　got　hold

of；　likely　enough　some　one　will　know　it。　　Well；　I　suppose　we　had

better　have　Jackson　carried　into　camp。〃



Four　more　of　the　negroes　were　called　out；　and　these　carried　the

body　into　the　camp　of　his　regiment。　　Au　officer　was　also　sent　from

the　working　party　to　report　the　capture　of　a　spy　to　his　colonel。



〃I　will　report　it　to　the　general；〃　the　latter　said；　〃he　rode　along　here

about　a　quarter　of　an　hour　ago；　and　may　not　be　back　again　for

some　hours。　　As　we　have　got　the　spy　fast　it　cannot　make　any

difference。〃



As　he　was　marched　back　to　the　village　Vincent　felt　that　there　was

no　hope　for　him　whatever。　　He　had　been　denounced　as　a　spy；　and

although　the　lips　that　had　denounced　him　had　been　silenced

forever；　the　mischief　had　been　done。　　He　could　give　no　satisfactory

account　of　himself。　　He　thought　for　a　moment　of　declaring　that　a

mistake　had　been　made；　but　he　felt　that　no　denial　would

counterbalance　the　effect　of　Jackson's　words。　　The　fury；　too；　with

which　the　latter　had　attacked　him　would　show　plainly　enough　that

his　assailant　was　absolutely　certain　as　to　his　identity；　and　even　that

there　had　been　a　personal　feud　between　them。　　Then　he　thought

that　if　he　said　that　he　was　the　son　of　the　woman　in　the　lint　she

would　bear　him　out　in　the　assertion。　　But　it　was　not　likely　that　this

would　be　accepted　as　against　Jackson's　testimony；　besides；　inquiry

among　her　neighbors　would　certainly　lead　to　the　discovery　that　she

was　speaking　an　untruth；　and　might　even　involve　her　in　his　fate　as

his　abettor。　　But　most　of　all　he　decided　against　this　course　because

it　would　involve　the　telling　of　a　lie。



Vincent　considered　that　while　in　disguise；　and　doing　important

service　for　his　country；　he　was　justified　in　using　deceit；　but　merely

for　the　purpose　of　saving　his　own　life；　and　that　perhaps　uselessly；

he　would　not　lie。　　His　fate；　of　course；　was　certain。　　He　was　a　spy；

and　would　be　shot　for　it。　　Vincent　had　so　often　been　in　the

battlefield；　so　often　under　a　fire　from　which　it　seemed　that　no　one

could　come　alive；　that　the　thought　that　death　was　at　hand　had　not

for　him　the　terrors　that　possess　those　differently　circumstanced。　He

was　going　to　die　for　the　Confederacy　as　tens　of　thousands　of　brave

men　had　died　before；　and　he　rejoiced　over　the　precaution　he　had

taken　as　to　the　transmission　of　his　discoveries　on　the　previous　day；

and　felt　sure　that　General　Lee　would　do　full　justice　to　his　memory；

and　announce　that　he　had　died　in　doing　noble　service　to　the

country。



He　sighed　as　he　thought　of　his　mother　and　sisters；　but　Rose　had

been　married　in　the　spring；　and　Annie　was　engaged　to　an　officer　in

General　Beauregard's　staff。　　Then　he　thought　of　Lucy　away　in

Georgia　and　for　the　first　time　his　lip　quivered　and　his　cheek　paled。



The　negro　guards；　who　had　been　enlisted　but　a　few　weeks；　were

wholly　ignorant　of　their　duties；　and　having　once　conveyed　their

prisoner　into　the　room；　evidently　considered　that　all　further

necessity　for　military　strictness　was　at　an　end。　　They　had　been

ordered　to　stay　in　the　room　with　the　prisoner；　but　no　instructions

had　been　given　as　to　their　conduct　there。　　They　accordingly　placed

their　muskets　in　one　corner　of　the　room；　and　proceeded　to　chatter

and　laugh　without　further　regarding　him。



Under　other　circumstances　this　carelessness　would　have　inspired

Vincent　with　the　thought　of　escape；　but　he　knew　that　it　was　out　of

the　question　here。　　There　were　Federal　camps　all　round　and　a　shout

from　the　negroes　would　send　a　hundred　men　in　instant　pursuit　of

him。　　There　was　nothing　for　him　to　do　but　to　wait　for　the　end；　and

that　end　would　assuredly　come　in　the　morning。　　From　time　to　time

the　door　opened；　and　the　negro　sergeant　looked　in。　Apparently　his

ideas　on　the　subject　of　discipline　were　no　stricter　than　those　of　his

men；　for　he　made　no　remark　as　to　their　carelessness。　　Presently；

when　he　looked　in；　the　four　soldiers　were　standing　at　the　window

watching　a　regiment　passing　by　on　its　way　to　take　its　share　of　the

work　in　the　trenches。　　Vincent；　who　was　sitting　at　a　table；

happened　to　look　up；　and　was　astonished　at　seeing　the　sergeant

first　put　his　finger　on　his　lips；　then　take　off　his　cap；　put　one　hand

on　his　heart；　and　gesticulate　with　the　other。



Vincent　gazed　at　him　in　blank　surprise；　then　he　started　and　almost

sprang　to　his　feet；　for　in　the　Yankee　sergeant　he　recognized　Tony

Morris；　but　the　uplifted　hand　of　the　negro　warned　him　of　the

necessity　of　silence。　　The　negro　nodded　several　times；　again　put　his

hand　on　his　heart；　and　then　disappeared。　　A　thrill　of　hope　stirred

every　vein　in　Vincent's　body。　　He　felt　his　cheeks　flush　and　had

difficulty　in　maintaining　his　passive　attitude。　　He　was　not；　then；

utterly　deserted；　he　had　a　friend　who　would；　he　was　sure；　do　all　in

his　power　to　aid　him。



It　was　extraordinary　indeed　that　it　should　be　Tony　who　was　now

his　jailer；　and　yet；　when　he　thought　it　over；　it　was　not　difficult　to

understand。　　It　was　natural　enough　that　he　should　have　enlisted

when　the　black　regiments　were　raised。　　He　had　doubtless　heard　his

name　shouted　out　by　Jackson；　and　had；　as　Vincent　now

remembered；　stepped　forward　as　a　sort　of　volunteer　when　the

officer　called　for　a　sergeant　and　four　men。



Yes；　Tony　would　doubtless　do　all　in　his　power　to　save　him。　

Whether　it　would　be　possible　that　he　could　do　so　was　doubtful；　but

at　least　there　was　a　hope；　and　with　it　the　feeling　of　quiet

resignation　with　which　Vincent　had　faced　what　appeared　to　be

inevitable　at　once　disappeared；　and　was　succeeded　by　a　restless

longing　for　action。　　His　brain　was　busy　at　once　in　calculating　the

chances　of　his　being　ordered　for　instant　execution　or　of　the

sentence　being　postponed　till　the　following　morning；　and；　in　the

latter　case；　with　the　question　of　what　guard　would　be　probably

placed　over　him；　and　how　Tony　would　set　about　the　attempt　to　aid

him　to　escape。



Had　the　general　been　in　camp　when　he　was　brought　in　he　would

probably　have　been　shot　at　sunset；　but　if　he　did　not　return　until　the

afternoon　he　would　would　most　likely　order　the　sentence　to　be

carried　out　at　daybreak。　　In　any　case；　as　he　was　an　officer；　some

time　might　be　granted　to　him　to　prepare　for　death。　　Then　there　was

the　question　whether　he　would　be　handed　over　to　a　white　regiment

for　safekeeping　or　left　in　the　hands　of　the　black　regiment　that　had

captured　him。　　No　doubt　after　the　sentence　was　passed　the　white

officers　of　that　regiment　would　see　that　a　much　stricter　watch　than

that　now　put　over　him　was　set。



It　was　not　probable　that　he　would　still　be　in　charge　of　Tony；　for　as

the　latter　would　be　on　duty　all　day　he　would　doubtless　be　relieved。　

In　that　case　how　would　he　manage　to　approach　him；　and　what

means　would　he　use　to　direct　the　attention　of　the　sentries　in

another　direction？　He　thought　over　t